Djembe
Intercultural Magazine of Concordia College
Kettenbrücke
Ruth Peterson
Kettenbrücke is a pen and ink drawing which depicts a bridge in the small city of Bamberg, Germany. Bamberg was my home for a year, and this bridge was a part of my daily commute. Daily scenes on this bridge included children throwing bread to the birds, elderly couples strolling with an ice cream, and students reading outside in the rare glimpses of sun. More than just a means of getting from one side to the other, I found myself thinking of this bridge as a destination in and of itself. When learning about other cultures, it can be easy to get caught up in getting from point A to B, and seeing all the sights. Sometimes it’s best to take time and sit on the bridge.
Un Paseo por la Calle Caldería Nueva
Mark Melby
Granada is a hallmark city of Spain. Whether you take in the view of the Sierra Nevada mountains from the famous Alhambra palace or stroll the windy streets, you will likely fall in love with the city. I snapped this photo while bouncing from shop to shop on this narrow street full of rich, Spanish culture
Las Fallas
Sage Larson
Las Fallas started when carpenters would pile all their old, unused material and burned it. The festival evolved over time, becoming a celebration of ritual burning and honoring the Virgin Mary. People collaborated with others in their neighborhoods to create beautiful fallas, sculptures, that satirically poked at politicians or current policies. Artists would fritter away the year building the piece, spending up to thousands or millions of euros to finish it. During the festival, there is a contest to determine who built the best sculpture. Every year in the middle of March, hundreds of thousands of people from around Europe come to partake in one of the top celebrations of Spain and to see La Crema, the burning of the fallas, which happens on the last day of the festival.
El Sueño
Micaela Gerhardt
During my semester abroad in Seville, Spain, I spent many afternoon siesta hours exploring the nooks and crevices of the city. One day I passed a bus station that was covered in murals and graffiti, and was particularly drawn to this image. I imagined the painter had passed the bus station and looked at all the greyness—the parking lot, the skate park, the bridge, Puente de la Barqueta—and decided to add some color: swirls of cerulean clouds, a tree ripe with bitter oranges, a sleeping boy with purple lips. People say Sevilla tiene un color especial, which means Seville has a special color, and this photo is a glimpse at the indelible vibrancy of the city.
Jarlshof
Samantha Peka
During my study abroad experience in Scotland I had many opportunities to travel around. Jarlshof was one of my favorite sites to see. Jarlshof is a prehistoric Norse settlement found at the southern tip of Shetland (islands north of Scotland). This site is especially unique due to the 4,000 years of human use in the same location. It dates back to 2700 BCE, and it remained in stagnant use until the 1600s CE. This site includes the following settlements: Neolithic houses, a Bronze Age village, and Iron Age broch and wheelhouses, a Norse longhouse, a medieval farmstead, and a 16th century laird's house.